THE GREATEST GIFT by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

I am recently married and wrote this poem for our wedding…

It is a reflection on the nature of love and the many shapes and sizes in which we can discover love's multitude of mysteries. 

As I was composing the words, I was reminded that long before my path ever intersected with my husbands, my most profound lessons on love came from simply learning to love myself. Love truly is an inside job. And when we start to figure out how to create space in our hearts for compassion, generosity, kindness and grace- most of all towards ourselves- we become better equipped to love others and see our love multiply and create a beautiful ripple effect in our wake. 

Last, the final line is a nod to a line from the movie Moulin Rouge- sometimes truth comes in unexpected places! And this truth acknowledges that one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to love and be loved. Whatever form, that love may take. 

Pictured is the author, BethAnne Kapansky Wright

The Greatest Gift

by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

Life doesn't give us

the capacity to love,

so we can keep it inside

and watch it diminish.

Love, 

is meant to be multiplied

by giving it away. 

Life doesn't give us

the ability to love

so we can squander it

on doubt and fear. 

Love,

is meant to be shared

so it grows exponentially.

Life doesn't give us

a voice to love,

so we can stay silent

and hold back our words.

Love,

is meant to be declared

out loud with every 

breath of being. 

Life doesn't give us

a heart to love,

so we can build walls

and fence it in.

Love,

is meant to be boundless;

There are no walls. 

For love is not

a prescription,

but our redemption,

that is lived and learned,

in a million different ways. 

It is the glue

that makes us stick 

to one another

and keeps us 

coming back for more.

It is the magic

that makes 

the world light up

with bright possibility 

and soft mystery,

and the hope that 

keeps us pressing on-

even when we don't

always know why

we are pressing.

It is the 

the only thing

strong enough

to peer into the dark,

and make a way-

to help us find

our light.

And it is the 

sacred grace,

that brought you and I

to this time and space,

so we can stand 

here united and know

beyond all else-

The greatest gift

you'll ever learn,

is just to love 

and be loved 

in return. 

Pictured is the author and her husband

BethAnne Kapansky Wright: I am a Clinical Psychologist who enjoys writing, illustrating and creating. I specialize in dealing with women's issues, life transitions, trauma, grief work, and finding healing in our relationships, especially our relationship with our self. I am a big believer in authenticity, intuition, the power of love, finding laughter and joy, and learning to be more fully human. My essays and poetry have been published in a variety of publications, and I am the author of the poetry books Cranberry Dusk, Freebird Fridays (November 2016, Golden Dragonfly Press) and Lamentations of the Sea: 111 passages on grief, love, loss and letting go. I currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska with my soul mate and our fur kids and my beloved mountains and trails. I can be found on Facebook or on my blog: Sunshine in Winter, here. 

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~